Priority Areas

Chemical Exposures

According to the EPA, more than 86,000 industrial chemicals are currently produced or imported into the United States. Thousands of these chemicals are unavoidable in our environment – from the food we eat to the air we breathe. Every day, children are exposed to a mix of chemicals, most untested for their effects on developing systems. The US has experienced worrisome increases in certain childhood diseases, disorders, and health problems, like asthma, autism, and cancer – many of which are linked to environmental exposures.

The pan you cooked your dinner in last night (or the wrapper it came in), the paint used to brighten the walls around you, and even the lotion you’re wearing can all legally contain chemicals that can hurt your health, and the health of the children in your life.

Exposure in Our Environment

Beyond the chemicals we’re exposed to through consumer products, industrial pollutants in the air, water, and soil can also harm our health. The placement of highways, waste disposal facilities, ports, factories, and other sources of pollution often make neighborhoods less safe for the families who live, work, and go to school there. Too often, these neighborhoods are already experiencing economic and racial stressors made worse by environmental injustices and resulting poor health outcomes. Climate change impacts multiplies these environmental hazards and exacerbates disparities.

Our First Priority Is a Focus on Children.

Because Our Children Continue to Get Sicker. Because They Deserve a Future Where They Can Thrive.

Right now, 1 in 4 US children ages 2-8 has a chronic health condition.
And 34% of all children’s health issues result from environmental factors that could be prevented or changed. That means it is in our power to reduce the suffering of children.

Because Children Face Greater Exposure to Environmental Hazards:

Children have higher exposures to harmful substances because they eat, drink, and breathe proportionately more than adults.
Children are also exposed to environmental hazards prenatally and through nursing
Their behaviors, such as crawling and putting fingers in their mouths, also increase the risk of exposure.
Children have higher metabolic rates than adults and differ from adults in how their bodies absorb, detoxify, and excrete toxicants.

Because Children Face a Greater Risk of Harm:

Children’s bodies are still developing. Exposure to pollution or toxic chemicals—before and after birth—can cause severe and permanent harm to a child’s health and development.
Children have a longer life expectancy than adults- they have more time to develop diseases, such as cancer, that early environmental exposures may trigger.

Because of Injustices That Children:

Children from communities with lower wealth and communities of color are exposed to more pollution, bear higher levels of contaminants in their bodies, and are more likely to suffer from illness or disability such as asthma.
Environmental and racial injustices are a legacy of White supremacy in our country. We cannot make adequate progress on improving environmental health for all children without first addressing these structural and systemic issues.

Because We Can Build a Better Future for All Children.

We’ve Already Made Progress:

Since removing lead from gasoline in the US in the 1970s, children’s blood lead levels have fallen dramatically
Since passing the Clean Water Act in 1972, more of the waters children fish, swim, and play in are clean, and the water they drink is less polluted (Prior to 1972, only 30-40% of the nation’s waters were safe for swimming and fishing)
Since the Clean Air Act Ammendments of 1990, there has been an approximately 50% decline in emissions of key air pollutants, helping kids breathe easier.
Passing legislation to restrict smoking in public spaces has been associated with fewer perinatal deaths, preterm births and hospital attendance for respiratory tract infections and asthma in children.

But There Is Still Work to Do:

We know that it IS possible and realistic to build a future where children have less asthma, fewer neurodevelopmental disorders, better mental health, and even a lower risk of cancer. All by creating healthier environments.